Sunday 23 August 2009

The medieval banquet





The village carnival is now in full swing. On Friday night the festivities got underway with a torch light procession through the village followed by a medieval banquet. This opening night is a jolly affair with huge tables set out in the square at which the locals (and anyone else who can squeeze in) sit on tressles eating pasta and drinking copious amounts of wine. Purists may question whether penne all' arrabbiata was a staple of every day fare in fifteenth century Umbria but such details are of no consequence to the participants who sensibly place enjoyment above a pharisaic pursuit of realism. The locals, as always, enter into the spirit of the event with abandon and are to be found dressed in a variety of what pass in these parts as period costumes. Under the light cast by flickering wall torches the whole affair has something of the feel of a budget production of Camelot. Plumes,leggings,swathes of multi-coloured velvet and those strange tall conical ladies hats that are always to be found in costume dramas of the period are much in evidence.
It remains stiflingly hot with yet another day of 40 degree + temperatures. The boyz are holding up well but I get the feeling that they can hardly wait for the arrival of colder weather.

4 comments:

kks said...

the carnival sounds like a great place to people watch!
love the pics of the dogs, esp the one with the ball in the water...we finally have some nice cool, fall like weather! love the fall!

Rocky Creek Scotties and Rocky Creek Ramblings said...

Sounds like a great carnival.

We hope you get cooler weather soon. We know the boy's in fur coats are getting warm.

XOXO
Lilly, Piper, Carrleigh and Java

Angus said...

kks - it's even hotter today. I've done my best preacher routine and quickly immersed the boyz in a tub of cold water - they didn't even complain! We're all envious that you've got fall weather!

rcsj - thanks for thinking of the two boyz. i'll bet within two weeks the weather will be 10-15 degrees cooler. It can't stay above 40 for much longer - can it?

judy in ky said...

I just read your post about leaving Rome to the tourists in August. Pity the poor tourists! Surly waiters and "barely adequate" food seem to be their lot. My husband and I visited Italy in October and everything was fine. I will remember never to return in August. And no bermuda shorts ever.
We in the USA are anguished to forever be entangled with the image of George Bush, to our shame. I doubt that your "BosWash" visitors were interested enough to repeat the stories of Mr. Bush. We would rather forget him